With one team eliminated and one team playoff bound, not much should have been expected from the New York Islanders tilt against the New Jersey Devils. And that’s what fans got: not much. Only one goal was scored between the two teams and aside from a possible suspension, the game didn’t play out to be all that exciting.
Ilya Sorokin turned out to be the star of the show, putting up 25 saves to blank the Devils’ offense, which should have dominated the game with most of their playoff lineup skating on Sunday. Sorokin is now only the second goaltender in franchise history to have multiple 30+ win seasons. Jacob Markstrom looked strong too, saving 21 shots from the Long Island-based team. He technically let in two, but the first “goal” was waved off due to Bo Horvat using his glove to bat the puck behind Markstrom.
Bo Horvat did finish the game as the lone goal scorer though: truly finding the back of the net after grabbing a pass from Timo Meier and wristing it past the Devils’ goaltender at 19:03 of the second period.
Early in the second period, Paul Cotter was handed a match penalty for illegal head contact against Adam Pelech. There was no update on Pelech’s status after the game and Cotter will have a meeting with the Department of Player Safety on Monday, April 14. A suspension could have negative implications for the Devils’ playoff hopes.
The Islanders played a better defensive game, blocking 22 shots and earning three takeaways. The team also recorded 27 hits during the matchup.
If the Devils are to take anything away from this matchup heading into the playoffs, it should be that they need to play bigger. Looking at a strong and brutal opponent in the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils will need to get ahead of the play, be more aggressive on the boards, and protect their goaltenders more (i.e., blocking more shots).
The Devils have lost three straight but will look to bounce back in their final two games of the season: at Boston on April 15 and home against Detroit on April 16. The Islanders will seek to end this season on a more positive note, hoping to reframe and start the summer in good spirits, with matchups against Washington on April 16 and at Columbus on April 17.
